Bihar authorities have blown the lid off a nexus between pharmaceutical professionals and crime syndicates that led to crucial medicines including anti-cancer drugs becoming twenty times costlier than their landing price.

The report, submitted by drug inspector Vikas Shiromani, lays bare the fact that anti-cancer medicines, not mentioned in the list of scheduled drugs, were priced way over their landing cost to a stockist or their carrying and forwarding (C&F) agents.

Most of the nearly 1,100 drugs, mentioned in the inquiry report as being overpriced, belong to branded companies.

“As per the drug price control order, 2013, the government of India has fixed the price of 10 mg Doxorubicin Hydrochloride injection at Rs 216.94. However, one vial of Piglit 20 mg injection, having the same composition, was being sold at an MRP of Rs 9,000, whereas it should not have cost more than Rs 433.88 per vial,” said Shiromani. “Similarly, the landing price at depot of another drug, I-Dox 50mg injection, having the same composition, was Rs 4,313.13 per vial, whereas it should have been sold at 1,084.70 per vial.”

State drug controller Ramesh Kumar said, “On the basis of evidence collected during raids on chemists and druggists stores, we will now write to the Centre for fixing rates of these anti-cancer drugs.”